How long does a treatment take?

lovewins

Hello ladies....I have read many threads and found many tips which I greatly appreciate.  One thing I haven't seen is how long a treatment takes?  Is it different for everyone?  I have my 1st appointment with my oncologist on Monday and I can ask him.  Any input is appreciated.

I am trying to learn everyones names...many of you have made me bust out laughing, it seems like I have chemo brain already and can't remember things.

Melrosemelrose

The actual treatment time depends on what your chemo regimen is and if you are going to receive Herceptin.  For example, the actual chemo infusion time of Cytoxan/Taxotere is at least 1 1/2 hours ( 30 minutes for Cytoxan and 1 hour for the Taxotere.  However, each infusion center has its own procedures for patients prior to the actual chemo infusion.  The infusion center would weigh the patient in, then take vitals ( blood pressure, temperature and pulse.)  If one has a port, the port is flushed.  After the port is flushed, the blood is usually drawn to determine if the patient's blood counts are okay to have the chemo infusion.  It takes some time for that blood work to come back from the lab and for the oncologist to sign the chemo drug order.  After the chemo drugs and pre chemo IV drugs arrive from the infusion/hospital pharmacy, the the pre-chemo IV drugs are administered.  You may want to ask you oncologist what pre-chemo IV drugs you will be receiving.  If you think you need an anti- anxiety medication with the pre-chemo IV drugs, ask for one.  (I was given Ativan with my pre-chemo IV drugs but did not have Ativan when I had Herceptin only infusions.)  Usually the actual adminstration of the chemo drugs may commence 30 minutes- 1 hour after the pre-chemo drugs are given.  Then the chemo infusions will be begin.  If you are receiving Herceptin, that infusion will take an additional hour to administer.

You may want to ask your oncologist what type of chemo regimen you will be receiving and the number of rounds and frequency of the chemo rounds.   You may want to ask about what side effects may be experienced from that chemo regimen and how to manage those side effects.   You may also want to ask if you will see your oncologist the same day as your chemo round.  If so, that may add into the time that you spend at the infusion center.  The first chemo round usually takes the longer than any other ones because the check in procedure will be new to you and the infusion staff will want to explain things to you.   Also, because it is the first round, the infusion staff will want to monitor you closely to see if you have any immediate reactions to the chemo drugs.   With that being said, it helps you and the infusion staff to be patient since getting upset about the length of time the infusion process takes will only add to your anxiety.  I always had the attitude that when it was chemo day, it was my day to spend at the infusion center and no need to rush through everything.  I wanted the infusion staff to do their jobs right and to take good care of me while I was having my infusions.  I know not everyone walks in there with that kind of attitude.   You may also ask if the infusion center has a new patient education class.  Some places have those.

As for as what to eat, I had two cookbooks that were a big help to me.  One is "Eating Well Through Cancer" by Holly Clegg and Gerald Miletello, MD.  This book has great tips, menus, shopping lists, recipes and how to handle certain side effects.  Another book is "The Cancer Fighting Kitchen" by Rebecca Katz.  That book has great recipes and pictures and talks about healthy foods to eat.  You may find those books on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  I do not have any affiliation with either of the authors or where the books are sold. 

Wishing you the best.....

Skigirl72

I had AC (Adriamycin and Cytoxan) for 4 treatments. We would show up around 9am and leave there around 2. There as a lot of lag time. Blood work, gathering the necessary stuff.... The Adriamycin was pushed slowly by the nurse and the cytoxan was on a drip for over an hour to eliminate the sinus burn... It seemed that patience was the one thing you needed to remember to bring.

Taxol (12) was quicker. We would show up at 9am and we would leave around 11:30. The first few taxol tx took longer because they ran it very slow to make sure I didnt have an allergic reaction.

I have the "Cancer Fighting Kitchen" cookbook. LOVE IT.

lovewins

Wow thank you Melrose for taking the time to write all that down.  It is much appreciated.  I am going to ask for some anti-anxiety medication....I will be having Herceptin.  I guess I better get my Nook charged.  I am definatly going to get Eating well through Cancer.  I have been wanting a good book.

Thanks again for answering my question...many blessing to you.

lovewins

Thank you Skigirl...I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.  I will remember to take my patience and if I have less SE they can drip it as slow as they want!  I will check out Cancer Fighting Kitchen too.

Thanks so much....wishing you all the best.

batcatlady19

Lovewins - see if your onc offers a 'chemo training' session. Mine did & it was super helpful. Basically, it's a one-on-one meeting with an onc. RN who goes over your specific chemo regimen in detail, from how it's given to side effects to meds for side effects, you name it, & you can ask every possible question & get answers that fit your precise case.



While I had read a ton in advance here & elsewhere, that session was much more realistic bec. it was tailored to me.

SpecialK

My chemo appointments were usually for 8:30 a.m.  I checked in at the front desk and I paid any co-pay due, was weighed in the lab area (chemo drugs are dosed in a mathematical formula by body mass), vitals taken and blood draw for a CBC (complete blood count) was done.  I was put in an exam room for a short appointment with my oncologist prior to each chemo treatment.  While waiting for the doctor the CBC was run in-house to determine my blood counts, and if they were high enough for chemo.  Chemotherapy drugs can adversely affect all blood values - white cells, red cells and platelets.  These are checked before each chemo treatment because if they drop below certain levels it can be dangerous to receive more chemo.  Usually these counts drop a bit each treatment so it can become problematic with the cumulative treatments.  Many oncologists administer Neulasta 24 hours after chemo, or Neupogen injections daily for several days, to increase white cell counts so that you are not as susceptible to opportunistic infections. I received Neulasta so that meant I had to come back to the office the day after chemo.  Some people receive these medications to inject at home - ask your oncologist what the policy is on these drugs, and if they administer them in the office. After determining whether or not my CBC was acceptable, and addressing any problems with my doctor, I went into the chemo room.  At some facilities this is a communal room (mine was) and at some the rooms are private, or semi-private.  My port was accessed and flushed.  By the time the onc nurses were done with the port flush, the pre-meds were ready.  By IV I received Benadryl for allergic reactions, Decadron (steroids) for allergic reaction and to assist with nausea, and Aloxi for nausea.  I took Tylenol by mouth.  Ativan was available to me but I never asked for it in my pre-meds.  My center's policy was that if Ativan was given as a pre-med, you could not drive youself home.  The pre-meds usually took about 30-45 minutes, so by this time it was about 10:30 a.m.  My center was very good at having the drugs ready so there was no lag time - they had their own in-house pharmacy.  I received TCH in order - 60 minutes of Taxotere, during which I iced my fingers and toes to prevent nail lifting.  Then I received Carboplatin, which was a bit shorter - about 45-60 minutes.  Then Herceptin was last.  The policy at my center was to run Herceptin over 90 minutes (the dosing info says it can be run as quickly as 30 mins) when given with chemo.  Accounting for very busy onc nurses, there was about an additional 30 minutes of lost time spread throughout, as well as bathroom breaks.  So, by the time the actual infusion was done it was about 2:30 or 3:00 p.m.  The port has to be de-accessed and flushed and then a bandage applied.  I had to stop at the front again on the way out to schedule the next visit, so out by 3:30 or so.  It was a long day, but everyone was very nice and helpful.  When I moved to Herceptin only infusions I did not have an appointment with the doctor, no pre-meds, and only the one infusion.  The first Herceptin only infusion I had was done in 30 minutes and I did have issues with intense aching for about 72 hours.  Per instruction from someone on this site who had the same issue, I asked to slow it to 90 minutes and had no further problems.  So, from that point on Herceptin took about 2 hours with port access, and stopping at the front desk.

lovewins

Thank you Batcatlady and SpecialK for responding to my question.  It really helps to be able to read about what I am about to face, I realize my experience will be unique to me but it helps me non the less.  They did offer a meeting with other patients to meet all the DR which I declined because I would of had to take more time off work.  Hopefully I will get a lot of info on Monday.

I hope you ladies are feeling well today....I love your name...they are easy to remember!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question...many blessing to you both.

christina0001

I had TCH and it was an all-day thing; in at 8am and I would finish around mid-afternoon. I brought magazines, books, puzzle books, my laptop, and a deck of cards.